About GTCIO
Building Georgia's industrial workforce, together
GTCIO exists to close the gap between the skills employers need and the training available to fill those roles.
Mission
Building a workforce ready for industry transformation.
GTCIO trains people for jobs in industrial operations and automation, the employees that Georgia employers are actively seeking. These jobs pay well, and the demand isn't slowing down. GTCIO exists to meet that demand: training new workers coming up, and helping employers upskill the ones they already have.
“We are surrounded by industries that are looking for employees with these skill sets. The jobs pay well, offer excellent career growth opportunities, and the demand continues to increase.”
Jan Moore — Vice President for Economic Development, Ogeechee Technical College
History
GTCIO's home is a new $27 million, 39,700-square-foot facility with capacity for nearly 460,000 hours of instruction a year. It exists because demand outpaced the room to meet it: Ogeechee Tech's industrial systems training was on pace to fill its existing building, and the college sits 32 miles from the Bryan County mega site, where the Hyundai electric-vehicle plant was projected to bring roughly 8,100 jobs to the region and nearby suppliers another 3,000. Skilled industrial systems and robotics technicians were already in shorter supply. The GTCIO was designed to address that shortage.
A Georgia Southern University economic-impact study projects the center will generate $13.21 million in regional economic output in its first year in the new building, growing to $16.64 million by FY2035, the study's final year of analysis. The GTCIO serves credit students and incumbent workers alike, running customized workforce development for regional employers, and training and certifying instructors from across Georgia and the nation.
2021
September
County commissioners support project
Bulloch County commissioners vote to seek funding for the project — the earliest public step toward what became GTCIO.
Read more about County commissioners support project →2022
July
The push for funding begins
Work kicks off to fund the project, including a pledge to donate the land from the Development Authority of Bulloch County.
2022
September
Initial funding approved
The Technical College System of Georgia's state board approves the project on its FY24 capital outlay list, clearing the way from idea to plan.
2023
June
State budget funds the project
Governor Brian Kemp signs the project's construction funding into Georgia's amended FY23 budget.
Read more about State budget funds the project →2023
July
Design team selected
PRAXIS3, an Atlanta-based architecture and design firm, is chosen to design the facility.
2023
August
Construction team selected
ICB Construction Group, a general contractor based in Macon, is brought on to build it.
2023
September
Design begins
Design work starts on a building meant to triple Ogeechee Tech's industrial systems and robotics training capacity, to anchor training for the wider region, and to serve as a model other technical colleges in Georgia can replicate.
2024
November
Groundbreaking ceremony
OTC breaks ground on the facility, a project built in partnership with Bulloch County and the Development Authority of Bulloch County.
Read more about Groundbreaking ceremony →2025
June
Construction begins
Ground is broken on the 39,700-square-foot facility.
2025
December
Beam signing ceremony
OTC faculty and staff, joined by design and construction partners PRAXIS3, ICB, LS3P, and Buro Happold, sign one of the last beams to be installed in the building during the college's Fall Professional Development Day.
Read more about Beam signing ceremony →2026
August
First classes begin
The Industrial Operations Technology diploma program launches in the Industrial Technology Building on Ogeechee Tech's main campus, the college's existing industrial operations training facility, while the new building is finished.
2026
September
Construction targeted for completion
The building is scheduled to be finished and handed over.
2026
October 15,
Grand opening
GTCIO officially opens its doors.
Advisory Board
GTCIO's curriculum is shaped by an advisory board of regional employers and industry leaders, so what we teach stays aligned with the equipment and skills the workforce actually needs.
Board Members
Jan Moore
Board Chair and Vice President for Economic Development
Ogeechee Technical College
Daniel Cox
Professor and Founding Chair of Manufacturing Engineering
Georgia Southern University
Tramaine Melvin
Manufacturing Production Manager
JTEKT
Stuart Gregory
Director of Business Development
Shalotek
Sandy Lake
Director of Logistics
Georgia Center of Innovation
Rob Lanham
General Manager
Silver Lake Automation
Kent Powell
Vice President of Sales
Amatrol
David Rogers
CEO
Georgia Technologies
Jim Wall
Executive Director
Smart Automation Certification Alliance
Ex Officio
Lori Durden
President
Ogeechee Technical College
Matt Dollar
Deputy Commissioner — Economic Development
Technical College System of Georgia
Billy Hickman
Georgia State Senator, District 4
Georgia General Assembly
Lehman Franklin
Georgia State Representative, District 160
Georgia General Assembly
Doug Lambert
Board Member
Technical College System of Georgia State Board
Benjy Thompson
CEO
Development Authority of Bulloch County
FAQ
Who runs GTCIO?
GTCIO is a division of Ogeechee Technical College, part of the Technical College System of Georgia. Ogeechee Tech already delivers the system's most comprehensive noncredit industrial systems and robotics training, and it runs the center as a regional resource rather than a single college's building: it partnered with Southeastern Technical College so manufacturers across both service areas can use it instead of duplicating facilities.
Is GTCIO only for students?
No. Three groups use it. Students earn the Industrial Operations Technology diploma. Employers send the staff they already have for short courses, customized contract training, and DOL-registered apprenticeships. And instructors come from across Georgia and the nation to be trained and certified — Ogeechee Tech is a SACA Regional Instructor Training Center.
When does the Industrial Operations Technology program start?
The diploma program is open for enrollment now, with new students starting each semester. The IOT Diploma Program page has the curriculum, the jobs it leads to, the pay to expect, and how to apply.
Where is GTCIO located?
GTCIO's new home is at 66 AJ Riggs Road, Statesboro, GA 30458. Until it opens — the grand opening is October 15, 2026 — classes are held in the Industrial Technology Building on Ogeechee Tech's main campus. The Facility page has more about the building.